


Caught at the Wrist

by idyll



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Ancient Device Shenanigangs, Ficlet, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-05-19
Updated: 2008-05-19
Packaged: 2017-10-07 10:13:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/64137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idyll/pseuds/idyll
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shenanigans with an ancient device.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Caught at the Wrist

**Author's Note:**

  * For [narikalen](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=narikalen).



Ronon doesn't understand most of what comes out of McKay's mouth. Which is fine, because he learned almost on day one that it's not what McKay says but _how_ he says it that Ronon has to pay attention to. After a couple of years, Ronon also knows the difference between McKay's showy predictions of dire consequences and his real ones, and which impossible situation is really impossible by McKay's standards.

He also knows the difference between a _That's interesting_ "Hunh," and an _Oh. We're totally screwed_ "Hunh."

McKay's staring at a small Ancient gadget in his hand, his face slack and pale. Ronon makes it across the room in three strides, intending to swipe the thing out of McKay's hand.

He's not quite sure what happens instead but the end result is him and McKay latched together at the wrist.

"What did you _do_?" Ronon growls, shaking their tethered hands.

McKay makes a garbled sound of insult. "I didn't do anything. It just started blinking at me!"

Sheppard and Teyla come rushing into the room, probably drawn by Ronon's shouts of horror and anger. They lower their weapons when they don't see any visible threats and Sheppard arches a brow at Ronon in a question.

Ronon holds up his and McKay's hands, which are tightly bound at the wrist--Ronon's left to McKay's right--by the device.

Sheppard and Teyla exchange a look of dawning horror. McKay jerks at their wrists and demands that Ronon cross the room with him. Ronon grits his teeth.

*

Three days later, Sheppard confiscates Ronon's gun and all of his knives when McKay does something that makes the gadget at their wrists _fuse into one piece of metal_ with no buttons or panels or anything.

"I wouldn't have stabbed him," Ronon tells Sheppard, who looks very skeptical. "Not deep, anyway."

McKay is unconscious on a hospital gurney next to him, having slammed his head into a wall after he panicked when Ronon started glaring at him and reaching for his knives.

*

Two days later, Zelenka manages to do something that gets the buttons and panels to return. Ronon almost crushes McKay's free hand to a pulp when he convinces McKay not to touch the Ancient device again.

A week after that, McKay attacks Ronon with a tray in the mess hall during breakfast. It takes two marines to pull him off.

That's when Sheppard drags them to a training room, points at the pile of padding in the middle of the floor that Ronon recognizes as McKay's body protection, and locks them in after making sure that Ronon hasn't snuck a knife into his dreads. Again.

Ronon and McKay slump on the floor, their backs to the wall and glare at the empty room.

"Look, this is ridiculous," McKay finally snaps. "We only have eight days left until this thing opens--and, yes, once again I am sorry that I _accidentally and unknowingly_ programmed it to remain locked for three weeks--and we're both reasonable adults." Ronon stares at him and points to the knot on his forehead from where McKay managed to make contact with the metal lunch try. McKay clears his throat. "Anyway, we should be able to get through the rest of this without maiming, or attempting to maim, one another."

"You make me sleep on the floor," Ronon reminds him.

"Yes, well, my _back_\--"

"You tried to blindfold me."

"It's called modesty! Besides, you dragged me on a ninety mile run!"

Ronon makes a noise. "One mile. Downhill. And I carried you the last stretch."

"Oh, yes, and thank you for that; I'm never going to hear the end of it. Did you have to cart me through the 'Gate room?"

Ronon smirks. "No."

*

Two hours later Sheppard still hasn't come to let them out. McKay fails to override the locks and blames "that sneaky, backstabbing Czech!"

"We should just spar," Ronon says and gestures at the padding.

McKay shakes his head. "No. No, no, no. I can't hold my own when I'm not attached to a behemoth--ow! Stop that! We said no pulling!"

Ronon lowers his arm and McKay drops off his tiptoes and rubs at his wrist.

"There's other ways we can pass the time," Ronon tells him. When McKay just stares at him blankly Ronon jerks at their joined wrists and reels him in.

McKay's eyes go wide and his mouth slack. "Oh."

And Ronon knows the meaning of that _Oh_, too.

*

When Sheppard shows up after dinner to release them, McKay's padding is strewn across the room and both of them look a little tousled and rumpled. They're slumped on the floor by the window in a patch of moonlight, dozing lightly and completely relaxed.

"See," Sheppard says and beams at them. "Just the thing you two needed."

Ronon and McKay get to their feet and exchange a look. "Yeah," they say.

.End


End file.
